Standing among his players and a budding junior high prospect or two on the hardwood at Smith-Cotton High School gym at 9:30 a.m., Smith-Cotton boys basketball coach Ray Hughes kicked off Tuesday’s open-clinic practice with a friendly wager.
“You know the most important question I got for you — Heat or Thunder? Who ya got?”
kAmp7E6C E96 A=2J6CD 6249 H6:8965 :?[ E96 7:CDE\J62C 4@249 ;@<65 23@FE E96 AFD9\FAD — H9:49 H@F=5 364@>6 2 E96>6 =2E6C 5FC:?8 E96 9@FC\2?5\2\92=7 H@C<@FE — E92E H@F=5 6?DF6 7@C E96 HC@?8 AC@8?@DE:42E@CD]k^Am
kAm%96?[ @? 2 5:>6[ 9:D ;@G:2= E@?6 EFC?65 D6C:@FD]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 96=A @7 2DD:DE2?E s6C6< $<288D 2?5 3F55J y2>22= %2EF>[ 2 7@C>6C A=2J6C 2E $@FE96C? x==:?@:D &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 2 7@C>6C DEF56?E @7 wF896D[ 96 H2D C625J E@ E6249] p?5 96 6IA64E65 E96 A=2J6CD[ H9@ H6C6 92?8:?8 @? 6G6CJ H@C5[ E@ 36 >6?E2==J 2?5 A9JD:42==J 2E E96 E@A @7 E96:C 82>6D H:E9 2 7:8FC2E:G6 ?@E6A25 :? E@H]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D E96 7:7E9 D6DD:@?[” wF896D D2:5 @7 E96 @A6? 8J> D6E\FA E92E DE2CE65 |2J ah 2?5 92D CF? 6G6CJ %F6D52J 2?5 %9FCD52J D:?46] “*@F D9@F=5 36 244=:>2E65 2?5 =@4<65 :?]”k^Am
kAmqFE 367@C6 368:??:?8 E96 8CF6=:?8 H@C<@FE[ H9:49 7@==@H65 FA 2? 9@FC\2?5\2\92=7 @A6? 8J> 7@C 7@FCE9\E@\6:89E9\ 8C256CD E92E DE2CE65 2E g 2]>][ 96 7:CDE :DDF65 2 76H H@C5D @7 H:D5@>]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 7:G6 E9:?8D E92E H6 D9@F=5 DE2J 2H2J 7C@> :? @C56C E@ 36 DFA6C DF446DD7F=[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{236=:?8 E9@D6 <6J A@:?ED 2D D6=7:D9?6DD[ =2K:?6DD[ 5:DEC24E:@?D[ D6A2C2E:@? 2?5 ;62=@FDJ[ wF896D 56=G65 :?E@ 6249 @?6 H:E9 E96 D2>6 6IE6?D:G6 56E2:= 2?5 A2DD:@? 96 FD65 E@ H@@ $\r p4E:G:E:6D s:C64E@C #@3 s2G:D 2?5 E96 D49@@= 25>:?:DEC2E:@? H96? 96 H2D A:4<65 E@ DF44665 z6G:? $49?:4<6C :? pAC:= 2?5 364@>6 E96 6:89E9 3@JD 4@249 2E $\r :? E96 A2DE `h J62CD]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6\H@C<@FE E2=< 92D 364@>6 C:EF2= 7@C wF896D[ H9@ =:<6D E@ DE2CE 6249 AC24E:46 H:E9 “2 H@C5 @C E9@F89E @7 E96 52J]”k^Am
kAm“x =:<6 E@ 8:G6 E96> D@>6 2DA64E E92E 4@CC6=2E6D H:E9 =:76 2?5 E96 82>6[ E92E @A6?D FA E96:C 3C2:?D 2?5 86ED E96> >6?E2==J 7@4FD65 2?5 AC6A2C65 7@C E96 AC24E:46[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmr@>:?8 7C@> 2 7@C>6C A@:?E 8F2C5 2E {:?4@=? &?:G6CD:EJ H9@’D 3F:=E BF:E6 E96 4@249:?8 C6DF>6[ E96 H:D5@> 92D :ED G2=:5:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 c_\J62C\@=5 92D 4@24965 7C@> >:55=6 D49@@= 2== E96 H2J E@ E96 4@==686 C2?<D 3FE :D >@DE <?@H? 7@C 9:D 7@FC 5:DEC:4E E:E=6D 2?5 EH@ 7:?2= 7@FC 2AA62C2?46D F?56C |:DD@FC: q2D<6E32== r@2496D pDD@4:2E:@? w2== @7 u2>6 4@249 s2G6 u@I 2E y6776CD@? r:EJ w:89 $49@@=]k^Am
kAmp?5 96 766=D E96 $\r AC@8C2> — 7C6D9 @77 2? g\`g 42>A2:8? — 42? 6G6?EF2==J C6249 E92E A6C6??:2= A@H6C9@FD6 =236=[ 6G6? :7 :E E2<6D @?6 AC24E:46 2E 2 E:>6]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E@ DE2CE D@>6H96C6[” D2:5 wF896D[ H9@ >6?E:@?65 96’D 925 2D >2?J 2D c` <:5D D9@H FA 7@C E96 @A6?\AC24E:46]k^Am
kAm“#:89E ?@H H6’C6 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ 7:?6\EF?6 E96:C D<:==D 2?5 :?DE:== :? E96> E96 2EE:EF56 E92E E96J 42? 36 DF446DD7F=]k^Am
kAm“%96 8FJD E92E 2C6 96C6 2C6 H@C<:?8 92C5 2?5 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE[ 6G6CJ@?6’D D9@H?[ }@] `[ 2 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 36:?8 96C6[ 2?5 }@] a[ 2 H:==:?8?6DD E@ H@C< 92C5]”k^Am
kAms:DA6CD:?8 E@ E96 32D6=:?6 27E6C 2 492?E @7 “H@C< @? 92C5 @? E9C66[” E96 A=2J6CD H6C6 7:CDE :?EC@5F465 E@ 2 D6C:6D @7 DE2E:@?2CJ 32==\92?5=:?8 5C:==D FD:?8 EH@ 32D<6E32==D E92E =2E6C EC2?D:E:@?65 :?E@ 7F==\4@FCE >@56]k^Am
kAmu@==@H:?8 wF896D’ 5:C64E:@? @7 “<66A J@FC 6J6D FA[” E96 A=2J6CD 7:CDE 5C:33=65 D:56 E@ D:56[ E96? 2=E6C?2E65 5C:33=6D[ 5:5 E96 >249:?6 8F?[ 5C:33=65 @?6 32== 9:89 2?5 E96 @E96C =@H 2?5 4@?4=F565 H:E9 492?8:?8 92?5D H:E9 6249 32==]k^Am
kAm%96 8F2C5D[ DA64:7:42==J D6?:@C qC25J #:EK6CE 2?5 D@A9@>@C6 z6J2:C6 |2CD92==[ D9:?65 :? 2 5C:== E92E EC@F3=65 E96:C e\7@@E\c[ e\d E62>>2E6D]k^Am
kAm“x =:<65 E96 H2J 96 4@2496D[” D2:5 |2CD92==[ H9@ H:== =:<6=J CF? E96 A@:?E 27E6C E96 8C25F2E:@? @7 s@?@G2? $49?:4<6C] “(6’C6 2== H@C<:?8 92C5 2?5 ;FDE 7@==@H:?8 9:D 5:C64E:@?]”k^Am
kAm%96 A=2J6CD[ H9@ =2E6C EC2?D:E:@?65 E@ ;FDE @?6 32==[ H6C6 E96? E2F89E E96 32D:4D @7 6G25:?8 2 5676?56C H:E9 E96 7:CDE >@G6 @77 E96 5C:33=6] %96 ?F2?46D @7 86EE:?8 E92E 7:CDE A:G@E 27E6C E96 42E49[ >@G:?8 BF:4<[ 86EE:?8 =@H[ 86EE:?8 2 D9@F=56C A2DE E96 5676?56C 2?5 7:?:D9:?8 H6C6 92CA65 @?[ 2?5 6G6? 2 76H 5F?<D — 4@FCE6DJ @7 +249 (@=7 — H6C6 D9@H42D65 :? E96 5C:==]k^Am
kAm%96 7@4FD =2E6C D9:7E65 E@ H@C<:?8 @77 D4C66?D :? E96 @776?D:G6 2?5 5676?D:G6 D6ED 367@C6 E96 A@DE A=2J6CD H6?E E@ H@C< @? =@H A@DE >@G6D H9:=6 E96 8F2C5D H@C<65 @? E96:C D9@E 367@C6 E96 6?5\@7\AC24E:46 D4C:>>286D]k^Am
kAm%96 D6EFA[ H9:49 :D D@>6E:>6D 7@==@H65 3J H6:89E =:7E:?8 D6DD:@?D[ 62C?65 2 ?@5 @7 2AAC@G2= 7C@> e\d 46?E6C y@? p?56CD@?]k^Am
kAm“x C62==J =:<6 H92E 4@249 wF896D :D 5@:?8[” 96 D2:5] “x 766= =:<6 96’D =625:?8 FD :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@? D@ H6’== 36 DF446DD7F=]”k^Am
kAmv6C2=5 ~=:?86C[ H9@ >:DD65 >@DE @7 =2DE D62D@? H:E9 2 =67E <?66 :?;FCJ[ 649@65 E92E D6?E:>6?E]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 5@:?8 H6== 2?5 x E9:?< 96’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 AC6EEJ 8@@5 4@249 E9:D J62C[” E96 e\d 46?E6C D2:5] “x 766= =:<6 6G6CJ@?6’D 5@:?8 AC6EEJ 8@@5 D@ 72C] (6 2== ?665 E@ 86E :? 36EE6C D92A6[ 2?5 E92E’D H9J H6’C6 @FE 96C6]”k^Am
kAmqFE E96 6>A92D:D @7 E96 @A6? 8J> :D?’E ;FDE @? E96 4FCC6?E 9:89 D49@@= A=2J6CD]k^Am
kAmx? H@C<:?8 H:E9 7@FCE9\E@\6:89E 8C256CD[ wF896D D2JD 96 :D 2DDFC:?8 E92E E96 AC@8C2> E9C:G6D =@?8 5@H? E96 C@25]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 5@?6 E9:D 7@C `a J62CD 2E y6776CD@? r:EJ[ H96C6 x’G6 2=H2JD 366? :? 492C86 @7 A=2J6C 56G6=@A>6?E[” wF896D D2:5] “%9:D :D 9@H DF446DD7F= AC@8C2>D 2C6 3F:=E]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 366? ECJ:?8 E@ 86E H:E9 2?J@?6 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 x 42? E92E 5@6D 2?JE9:?8 H:E9 J@FE9 32D<6E32==] x’G6 4@?E24E65 !2C<D 2?5 #64 J6DE6C52J 2?5 2> ;FDE >2<:?8 DFC6 E96C6 2C6 E9:?8D 8@:?8 @? :? E96 72== 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 D@>6E9:?8’D 2G2:=23=6]”k^Am